I am shocked–shocked–to learn that Congress has chosen to bar casinos from getting any of the nearly trillion dollars in stimulus money that’s floating around. From CNN:
Congress has moved to prevent money from the proposed $825 billion stimulus package from being used for zoos, aquariums, golf courses, swimming pools and casinos, an effort to ensure the bill funds only what it calls the "highest quality" infrastructure projects.
Restrictions added to the stimulus proposal would keep the money from zoo projects, among other things.
Restrictions added to the stimulus proposal would keep the money from zoo projects, among other things.
"The purpose of this bill is to direct funding at projects that are primarily and clearly aimed at benefiting the economic conditions of communities and the public at large," the bill states. "The federal government and all other levels of government are directed to look with a skeptical eye at projects that don't meet that test."
Congress looks to keep stimulus cash from zoos, golf courses – CNN.com.
Let’s play a game. It’s called “what do these things have in common?”
Here’s how it goes: I list a bunch of things, then you tell me what they have in common.
Let’s try: zoos, aquariums, golf courses, swimming pools and casinos–what do they have in common?
As for having a theme in common, my impression is that the list is unified by the idea that all of the items on it provide a product or service that is leisure-oriented.
This does, of course, completely ignore the economic trickle-down effects that failing to support these types of business will have on the economy via very large number of people who are currently (or could be) gainfully employed in the zoo, pool, gaming, or other industry.
Though Nevada’s economy is different than most because of the importance of the gaming industry, I fail to see how supporting casinos could fail to benefit the “economic conditions of communities and the public at large”.
Of course, some people will get themselves into financial trouble by gambling, but people with such tendencies will do so whether the gaming industry benefits from stimulus funding or not (for that matter, many would do this even in the face of the outright prohibition of gambling).
For those who do not suffer from problem gambling, casinos simply provide a means both to be entertained and to stimulate the economy via cash flow.
My take on this is that the inclusion of casinos in the list to make people ‘feel good’ about the uses that the money will be put to, based upon (and perpetuating) the notion that the gaming industry is a social evil of sorts.
I was interested also by Harry Reid’s remark (near the end of the CNN article) that none of the money was earmarked for the gaming industry anyway, making it a “largely symbolic” inclusion.
Just my $0.02… or $0.10 at max bet.
Mandalay Bay
Yes..as Mike so accurately concluded…Congress is specifically making sure that Mandalay Bay gets no Fed Funds.
:>))
And if MGM still has that tired, old lion on exhibit…Congress covered all their bases with that zoo inclusion.
Hahaha